UH scholarships to commemorate state's first U.S. senators

Gov. Linda Lingle has signed legislation creating separate scholarships in memory of Hawaii's first U.S. senators, Hiram L. Fong and Oren E. Long.

The scholarship programs will provide financial support for Hawaii public school graduates enrolled in the University of Hawaii system.

"It is an honor to enact legislation to establish scholarships that will carry on the legacies of Senators Fong and Long," Lingle said. "These men came from different backgrounds, but both worked in a bipartisan manner to serve the people of Hawaii and to represent America's newest state in our nation's Capitol."

The signing took place Thursday at the installation ceremony for the board of directors of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.

Fong, the nation's first Asian-American senator, and Long were elected in 1959, the year Hawaii became a state.

Fong, a Republican, was the son of Chinese immigrants and earlier served in the territorial House of Representatives. He died in 2004. Democrat Long was born in Kansas and served as Hawaii's territorial governor from 1951 to 1953. He died in 1965.

The scholarships will be funded by proceeds from endowment trusts administered by the university's Board of Regents. The bill appropriates $50,000 to initially fund each trust. Scholarships from each fund will be awarded annually to a male and female student who are graduates of a Hawaii public school. Candidates must be upperclassmen on a University of Hawaii campus.